


clandestine meetings and longing stares

by heyvivalapluto



Category: Gilmore Girls
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Jess previously lived in Hartford, Mutual Pining, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, park/bench au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:14:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26443261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heyvivalapluto/pseuds/heyvivalapluto
Summary: “and that’s the thing about illicit affairs and clandestine meetings and longing stares: it’s born from just one single glance.”au-bench in which two strangers sit at opposing benches in a park to read, but they get too distracted with each other. Until one day they decide to just sit together.
Relationships: Rory Gilmore/Jess Mariano
Comments: 8
Kudos: 17





	clandestine meetings and longing stares

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, guys! So this is my first fic here and I hope is not too bad. I’m gonna have to ask for you to be kind about my writing, because I’m Brazilian and English is not my first language. I’ll probably make some mistakes and I hope that’s okay. 
> 
> Some considerations:  
> \- Jess lived in Hartford before going to Stars Hollow, not NY (like in canon)  
> \- Rory has been going to Chilton for a while  
> \- Rory and Jess have seen each other, but don’t know each other yet  
> \- Jess is gonna move to SH a little later than in canon
> 
> Anyway, I had this idea from a tweet (my user is @/yasmothers) from the account @/literatiarchive and I felt like it was a good fic idea.
> 
> Enjoy!

Paris was being impossible today. Not that she was nearly possible any other day, but today she overcame her own boundaries of annoyance.

Rory was really stressed about the whole I’m-in-love-with-Tristan-and-he’s-in-love with-you-and-I-blame-you-for-it thing. I mean, how was that her fault that happened? It’s not like she went after Tristan and tried to seduce him. This wasn’t fair and Paris was being insufferable about it and it was affecting their project.

Oh, and Dean. Dean was also mad at Rory because of said project. But again, it wasn’t her fault. She didn’t choose to be Juliet, and definitely didn’t choose for Tristan to be Romeo, and if it was up to her, there would be no kiss. But life doesn’t just work out that way.

The girl sighed, feeling the weight of an elephant in her chest. She hated when Dean was mad at her, she just couldn’t bare it.

Rory decided that she needed to distract herself while the bus that would take her back to her comforting home arrived. She took her book bus and tried as hard as she could to concentrate on the words in front of her.

————

“You’re insane!” Jess heard one of his mother’s boyfriend scream. Jess didn’t care enough to learn his name, because, to be honest, they usually don’t last that long anyway. They were arguing the whole afternoon. Again. About something that didn’t matter. _Again_. And now his mother was kicking this guy out, screaming and crying. _Again_.

Jess wanted to _leave_. He wanted to put loud music, he wanted to go away, but couldn’t bring himself to do it, because in the same way he didn’t know this guy’s name, he also didn’t know if he was dangerous. Jess couldn’t leave his mom alone not knowing if it was safe, even if he was mad or tired of listening the screams and glass breaking sounds.

The boy sighed tired, closing his eyes listening to the door being slammed. At least it was over. Now, the only noise left was his mom sobs at the tiny apartment.

He decided that now was the time to leave. So that’s what he did. He grabbed his coat and a book, not really paying attention to his actions. He wanted to get out of there quick. Telling himself that he would deal with his mother later, when she would be calmer and wouldn’t blame him for whatever happened between them.

“Where you’re going?” Liz asked weakly, not really expecting an answer.

“Out.” He answered flatly, closing the door behind him.

God, was he angry. He couldn’t even face his mother without feeling anger consume him. _She always does this!_ He thought bitterly. She always chooses the worst guys, and invite them into their life not caring how much damage this could bring. And then she obligates Jess to be an adult and take care of her and never the opposite. For crying out loud, she is the mom, she’s supposed to be the adult, she’s supposed to take care of him and-

Jess weaved those thoughts out of his head, because he really didn’t want to think about that. He was now sitting at his regular bench at the park he liked to spend time at, and he didn’t realize this before, but his hands were curling into tight fists and he was frowning, feeling his teeth clenching. He only realized it now, because he felt his face ease at the sight of... _her._

There she was, as usual, sitting at the opposite bench, in front of him, waiting for her bus, with a book in hands, wearing her uniform from that fancy school nearby. But she was frowning, just like he was a few seconds ago, and he wondered what could possibly be bothering the most calm person he ever noticed.

Jess couldn’t bring himself to look away for a few seconds. She seemed really stressed, at first, but after a while she started to look at peace, completely focused on whichever story she was reading. It was clear the way she was diving into the story. _Drowning_ , he thought.

After a while, he finally grabbed his book and felt like he could appreciate his reading, now that he was calm (and she was too). He really wanted to believe that, at least.

He wanted to believe that now he could focus and enjoy the novel he was holding, but the truth was that Jess couldn’t bring himself to stop glancing at the Chilton girl. But that wasn’t news, because for the last weeks it has been like this as well. Him always glancing, not to say staring, at her, while she reads and reacts to the words in front of her, while he pretends he is reading.

But he also wants to believe that she looks up and watches him too.

So the mission for today is catch her glancing at him. And to be honest, he wasn’t actually expecting for her to notice him at all, but believing was nice. _Hoping._

For the next 15 minutes they stay there, each in their own bench. Jess can’t help himself, he just has to peak one more time. He doesn’t know why, _because he doesn’t expect to catch her looking at him, he doesn’t even think she has ever noticed him_. He doesn’t, that’s what his brain keeps telling him so he doesn’t feel so disappointed when he looks up one more time and she’s still reading.

But then, right before the bus arrives, something amazing happens: she looks up, and she looks at him. She looks at him and how intense are her eyes!

She gets up and she does something even more amazing, something he never imagined she would do, not even in his wildest dreams: she smiles at him. She smiled, a shy smile, right before she tucked her hair and disappeared into the bus.

And Jess wondered how did he never notice how blue her eyes were. _Pretty_ , he thought. But “pretty” couldn’t possibly describe the vivid sky blue eyes she had.

After that, Jess doesn’t remember for how long he just sat there, looking at nothing in particular. Feeling something weird in his chest.

He decided to go home when he came to the conclusion that he wasn’t going to be able to read. Jess walked slowly, trying to avoid the inevitable. He opened the door calmly, not making much sound.

“Oh, hey honey!”, he hears his mother voice. It’s raspy and she doesn’t seem sober. “How was your day?”

Jess didn’t give much thought about the question, just smiling to himself while answering like it was the perfect conclusion to a great story. “Not a bad day.”

**Author's Note:**

> I know it’s not really long, but it’s just the intro of what I was thinking, so probably it will get longer with time.


End file.
